Friday, August 12, 2011

FFW - Marketing Tips, Quiz Answers, and My Next Blogfest!!

Fantastic Friday Writers – Marketing Tips and Tricks

I’m not an expert on marketing, but there is one tip I can offer - don’t use your blog just to advertise. Sure, when you’re doing a blog tour or there’s a big moment, let everyone know. But don’t venture into blogging to advertise. Come here to make friends.

Why do I think that’s important? Because I can’t begin to tell you how many of my blogger buddies purchased my book just because they like me. For many, it was their first science fiction book! It’s really flattering and humbling.

If I’d focused on selling my book rather than making friends, I would’ve missed a great opportunity. And not just in the books I wouldn’t have sold, but in the priceless value of the friendships I would’ve missed.

The Lexx was a living spaceship on these four TV movies before it was a series - name the movie series title! Before it was a series called Lexx, it was four TV movies called Tales From a Parallel Universe.

Name the song VH1 Classics declared as the number one rock song of the 1980’s. Bonus fuzzy feelings if you can name the second song as well! Number one - Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer. Number two - Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar on Me

Now, are you ready for a new blogfest?

We had The Movie Dirty Dozen - now it’s time for:

That’s right! Time to list the worst movies ever made.

Here’s the scoop:

Worst Movies Ever Blogfest!
On Monday, September 19, post a list of up to ten of the worst movies you’ve ever had the misfortune to watch. Films that just oozed awfulness and featured plot holes so big you could drive a bus through them. Any genre or year, but only theater and straight to video/DVD titles. (Otherwise we’d all list every movie ever made by the SyFy Channel!) Sign up, grab the button, and on September 19, give us the worst! And be sure to visit others participating in the blogfest.

Cool Blogfest! I agree with you about the blogging thing. I think that I've made great friends along the route. Sure, it's a way to let the world know your book is out but that's not the main reason I blog. There is just such a wonderful support group here.

Thank you for the blogging advice. I'll let you know what I think of your book when I'm done with it. :) I see I bombed your quiz...always hated pop quizes. Cool new blog fest..will play. Have an awesome Friday! :)

There are bad movies, and then there are the ones that go so far beyond bad that they're actually funny. I enjoy some of those; I'm particularly fond of scary stuff gone stupid (Tremors comes to mind) because if a horror movie is well done, I can't watch it.

Glad you're still lovin' the blog world Alex - me too. So many great people here.

Alex - I couldn't agree more about the fundamental truth of blogging. I just can't do it for anything but connecting with fellow slaves of art, folks with humour and love. Great reminder. As to worst movies ever - there was one Jack Nicholson made years ago -maybe 30 years ago - it was set in Spain or something and it stunk! Nothing happened. My partner and I left in the middle and it was a heat wave in Ottawa with theatres being the only cool places to be. argggh.

Hmmmm, can we specify by genre? My blog focuses on horror, so could I do worst horror movies ever made? Speaking of, I recently blogged about watching Basket Case 2 here in Oxford while waiting for the riots to start.

thanks for the blogger advice, i am glad to have made the many friends here...

i do try to sell my stuff or things i am able to do for you all... shall i list them here or you can just go to my blog and be bombarded by the big artistic banners, links to my art store, my book, ebook design and art or even the flashy z-dazzle [where i turn you into a zombie, which if you have a coupon it's $5 bucks]option...

but this is not me [i would never try to push this onto you or turn this into something about me], once again i love friends, comments and willingness to "laugh" at my "attempts of humor".

and vh1 i was close, yeah!worst movies i am in, yeah!i don't see you going to any movies this weekend... final destination 5, 30 minutes or less or the help...:)jeremy

I already have a guest blogger scheduled for September 19th. :( I'll have to think if there is a way to participate. If I can't post. I'll still check everyone else out. :) BTW - You are SO right about the friends in the blogging world. It's such an awesome bunch!

yes, such great advice about blogging - but really, it's great life advice, period - approaching life from caring and love first - monetary gains are frosting - wonderful frosting, but still frosting - the number of really great friends i've made in blogland is mind boggling and i'm so grateful for them - astounding - now, i'll have to try to gear up for the most awful of the awful - my mind tends to let those fall away into that parallel universe of awfuls so they don't crowd my own world of everything is beautiful! ;)

You're right about the advertising on blogs. There are some blogs that only do that and like with TV commercials I flip the channel. Useful or entertaining content is why I read a blog.

I'm signed up for the blogfest--how could I not? Of course, some movies are so bad that they're good. You won't see any Ed Wood, Jr films on my list, but I'm sure I'll think of some films that I couldn't stand and they were too bad to be good.

I also agree with you, blogging is for building friendships. I'm struggling right now, so it's very comforting when friends stop by and say hi. Makes me feel like I'm not talking to myself...I really want to get back to posting almost daily, but daily life is squashing that right now. Balance is what I'm looking for, it's just so elusive right now.Thanks for doing another party! I really enjoy meeting new folks. I was just saying the other day that I need something else to kick me in the derriere to get going. Stupid movies work! It's a fine line, though. Some movies are so stupid they're entertaining for the mocking value. But making a list will not be hard...we movie buffs tend to have a long list of those, just because we watch so many movies... Tina @ Life is Good

If they are the worst..well I probably didn't end up seeing the whole thing. If it's looking bad and i mean bad I usually call it quits. giggle. Great idea for a blog hop though. big hugs and happy weekend wishes!

I got into blogging to "build a platform" but I've gotten so much more out of it! My last post was all over this topic. I've made friends for life who've helped advance my writing career & definitely made me a better writer. Can't ask for anything more!

Alex, you make such a great point about blogging and selling books. You NEVER focused on that, and that's one of the reasons we love you! For me, blogging is ALL about relationships. I've learned so much from each of you, and I've met such amazing people. Book sales pale in comparison.

Thanks for the advice/tips. You said it all.I don't have patience for a bad movie (I hardly have patience for a good one) but this is a fun blogfest idea so I'm thinking about it.Happy Friday, Alex.xoRobyn

Amen on that! Great post, it cuts to the heart of blogging, i.e. better to be a better person than necessarily a "successful" one. Although I suppose they can be the same depending on your personal philosophy:)

Blogging is a completely different animal than what I thought of it before I started---and I completely agree, it's not about marketing as much as it is about hanging out, having fun, learning what you can from others and perhaps even imparting a bit of wisdom when inspiration strikes.

Def Leppard and Bon Jovi have been duly notes for a little quiz I'll be making up... ;)

I love this idea; now I will have to turn back the projector of time and see what I can pull out. One horrid ones comes to mind. Kids in the hood were bored, we begged our parents to take us to the Saturday matinee. Drop us off, two of us were old enough to watch the others. They did, but someone had read the wrong newspaper. A wretched flick was playing, worst I have ever seen. I think I was 13; we laughed about it for years...remember when we saw...something with million in the title. Now time to open the vault and find the title...yikes!

Great advice!! I absolutely agree. Thanks for visiting me even though I was a horrible bloggy friend. Worst summer ever. Elec and internet both went on hiatus then my computer died so I was having to steal my husband's when he wasn't around. Now hopefully it's sorted and super happy to be able to participate in the blogfest too! Don't forget to remind me closer to the time. I barely remember my own name these days.

hmm, worst movies, and I can't include any movies on scyfy? Aw, that's no fun. They have the funniest worst movies ever. Like The Beast of Bray Road - even the title is awful! I'll have to put my thinking cap on but if I can't come up with anything I'll definitely check out those who sign up. Great idea!

This blog hop sounds like so much fun. I'm going to be teaching at the Central California Writers Conference that weekend, so I can't post my own, but I'm really going to enjoy hopping around and reading all of yours when I get back. I'm always interested to see how many award-winning movies also get on a whole lot of "worst" movie lists.

Agree totally about making friends vs. selling. On social media, acting like a salesman makes people cringe. Twitter is the same. When I follow somebody back, then get a DM saying "read my book" I feel like unfollowing right away. Such a huge turn off. Saying "I see you write romantic comedies, too. Come over to my blog and let's talk chocolate and shoes" or something like that works great.

You've got me thinking about all the movies I really hate. Every time I think of bad movies I think of 'The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.' But is was so bad it was good! So it doesn't count.

Oh shoot. Now I've got that theme song stuck in my head:

Attack of the killer tomatoes! Attack of the killer tomatoes! They'll eat you, bash you, squish you, mash you, chew you up for brunch and finish you off for dinner or lunch... They're marching down the halls. They're crawling up the walls. They're gooey, yucky, squishy, munchy, rotten to the core. They're standing outside your door. Remember Herbert Farbage, while taking out his garbage, he turned around and he did see, tomatoes hiding in his tree, now he's just a memory. I know I'm going to miss her, a tomato ate my sister...

I am signed up for your blogfest. I love bad movies. Don't get me wrong, I prefer good movies. But given a choice of only an average rated film and crap, I will go for the bad movie, as I generally laugh my way through - where laughter was not intended. I am looking forward to building my list.

Worst movies ever? Oooh. I don't want to remember them, but I do. And on International Talk Like a Pirate day . . . hmmm. Coincidence?

BTW, I just finished your book, CassaStar, and I loved it! I found the beginning to be a little slow for me . . . but sometimes that is just me moving from daily havoc to the quiet of reading . . . anyway, I have to say that I thought it was a great, page-turning, action-packed read with a powerful dramatic piece about friendship. Thank you for writing it! I am looking forward to reading CassaFire.

Alex, I have a condition (mental of course) that causes me to refuse to say any movie I have seen was bad. At least not bad enough to make a worst movies list. I get something out of every film I see and try to not critque. My wife on the other hand (though she can not remember seeing a movie 3 days afterward) could come up with a list. She would tell you the Coen Bros. movies are the biggest waste of celluloid or digital there ever was.

Anyway, this is my longwinded way of saying I won't be participating because I truly have no such list. Weird, huh?

PS. My brain subconciously fills in any plot holes so all movie plots make sense to me.

Tyrean, I just read your post, and I am honored you enjoyed it! You got the real meaning of the book, which I appreciate. Thank you!!

Chuck, after of years of watching movies, I am both jaded and more tolerant - yes, odd combination. It's rare I see something that bad. However, years of watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 have given me a list of truly awful films. I am ready!But that's cool if you don't want to participate - I understand.

I actually didn't like the swedish version of the Girl with the Dragon Tatto. It's not because of the performance or plot. It's because I thought it was a political thriller but it turned out to be a crime story.

About Me

I'm a sci-fi writer on a journey of discovery - books, movies, music, etc.
Founder of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, I'm the author of Amazon Best Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, CassaStorm, & Dragon of the Stars